Two and a Half Men poised for gay adoption story line: Is it inappropriate?

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Will Two and a Half Men's faux gay marriage help or hinder gay rights?

During the latest Television Critics Association panel, CBS introduced a bold new story line for the final season of their show Two and a Half Men. Chairman Nina Tassler announced that the two men of the show, Walden (Ashton Kutcher) and Alan (Jon Cryer) will pretend to be gay so they can get married and adopt a child. Um, no?

According to Tassler, Walden will have a health crisis that will launch him into an "existential crisis." When Walden realizes he needs to make a bigger difference in the world, he'll try to adopt a child. Sadly, he'll also realize it's nearly impossible for a single man to adopt a child. His answer? For he and Alan to pretend to be gay, get married and then attempt to adopt a child.

Tassler spoke of the arrangement to The Hollywood Reporter. "I think it's a very positive statement that, 'You know what, I am going to adopt a child as [part of] a gay couple,' and the reality is, he can do that."

Is CBS clearly delusional or does Tassler have a point? It's not as if Two and a Half Men has in any way, shape or form helped to launch a reality in which gay couples can more easily adopt a child. They're not even trying to further the gay rights moment. Essentially all they're doing is using it as a ploy to tell what they hope will be an interesting final story. That's being gracious. Honestly, it seems like they're pandering for views.

We're also concerned about what this story line will do for the gay rights movement, as it most certainly won't further it. Gays have a lot of haters. We're not entirely sure that having two straight (and super-annoying) men pretend to be gay and married will help make things better. With all the crazy theories about what gay marriage will do to the "sanctity of marriage," we actually feel like this Two and a Half Men story line will only further the anger, resentment and crazy theories made up by people who already disapprove of gay marriage.

But maybe we're being harsh. What do you think of CBS' newest attempt to boost viewership and ratings for the slowly sinking USS Two and a Half Men? Tell us below.